Funding for Technology and Equipment

NIJ's mandate does not allow us to provide direct funding for equipment purchases and training beyond that supplied under the Forensic Laboratory Enhancement program. However, NIJ has identified a number of other sources for new and surplus equipment.

Excess and Surplus Property Programs

Weapons, vehicles, boats, aircraft, armored personnel carriers, computers, gym equipment, binoculars, tactical goggles and radios are just a few of the myriad types of gear available to law enforcement agencies for free or reduced cost through the Federal Excess Property Program, which consists of three individual programs:

1033 Program — permits the Secretary of Defense to transfer, without charge, excess U.S. Department of Defense personal property (supplies and equipment) to state and local law enforcement agencies.

1122 Program — allows state and local governments to purchase new law enforcement equipment for counter-drug activities through the federal government.

Technology Assistance: The National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) System

NIJ brings technology closer to the frontlines through the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) System. Originally created in 1994, the NLECTC System plays a critical role in enabling NIJ to carry out its critical mission to assist state, local, tribal and federal law enforcement, corrections and other criminal justice agencies in addressing their technology needs and challenges.

The NLECTC System provides:

Scientific and technical support to NIJ's research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) projects.

Support for the transfer and adoption of technology into practice by law enforcement and corrections agencies, courts and crime laboratories.

Assistance in the demonstration, testing and evaluation of criminal justice tools and technologies.

Technology information and general and specialized technology assistance.

Assistance in setting NIJ's research agenda by convening practitioner-based advisory groups to help to identify criminal justice technology needs and gaps.

The NLECTC System outreach efforts currently include a center serving the specific needs of small and rural law enforcement, the Small, Rural, Tribal and Border Regional Center (SRTB).

The efforts of this center complement those of NLECTC-National, which coordinates NIJ's Compliance Testing program and standards development efforts for a variety of equipment used in the public safety arena, and the Centers of Excellence (CoEs), which support NIJ's RDT&E efforts in specific portfolio areas. The CoEs focus on the following technology topic areas: Communications; Corrections; Forensics; Information and Geospatial; Sensor, Surveillance and Biometrics; and Weapons and Protective Systems. The National Institute of Standards and Technology provides scientific and research support to these efforts.